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AST

LIFTOFF: Trump’s Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy Announces Major Move to Streamline Commercial Space Licensing

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy today announced that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is launching a new initiative to streamline commercial space licensing, making it faster and easier for innovators to secure approvals to launch rockets, reenter spacecraft, and operate launch and reentry sites.

The move builds on President Trump's innovative "...

Safe to Launch

The FAA’s work to support this booming industry and ensure safety of the public – on land, in the air and on the water – is a major undertaking. A key to success is the behind-the-scenes work FAA space transportation safety inspectors perform before flight controllers can say, “We are go for launch.” Here's a look at the top five pre-launch tasks they conduct to keep you safe before every FAA-licensed commercial space launch.

Archive of SpaceX Starship Super Heavy Project at the Boca Chica Launch Site

SpaceX proposes to conduct Starship/Super Heavy launch operations from the Boca Chica Launch Site in Cameron County, Texas. SpaceX must apply for and obtain an experimental permit(s) and/or a vehicle operator license from the FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation to operate the Starship/Super Heavy launch vehicle.

Commercial Space (AST) Draft Documents

We invite you to comment on Commercial Space draft guidance and publication documents posted on this website. We will provide the following draft documents when available for comments. We will review all comments received and consider them for incorporation in the final document.

Commercial Space Draft Advisory Circulars (ACs)

The public has an opportunity to comment on DRAFT commercial space advisory circulars while they are on notice in the Federal Register. We will review all comments received and consider them for incorporation in the final document. Feedback for Draft ACs may be submitted via by emailing 9-ast-asz210-directives@faa.gov. Please include the Draft AC number/title in the subject line.

Debris Response Areas

The FAA is responsible for the licensing and safety oversight of commercial space launch and reentry operations, including their safe and efficient integration into the U.S. National Airspace System (NAS). The FAA ensures the protection of the public on aircraft, on land and on maritime vessels during space launch and reentry operations. 

SpaceX Falcon SLC-40 Environmental Assessment (EA)

The FAA is announcing the availability of the Final Environmental Assessment and Mitigated Finding of No Significant Impact/Record of Decision for SpaceX Falcon 9 Operations at Space Launch Complex-40, Cape Canaveral Space Station, Florida (Final EA and Mitigated FONSI/ROD).
The electronic versions of the Final EA and Mitigated FONSI/ROD are available on this website for download.

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SpaceX Falcon Program

SpaceX currently operates its Falcon family of commercial space launch vehicles, the Falcon 9 and the Falcon Heavy, from launch complexes at Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS), and Vandenberg Space Force Base (VSFB). The Falcon 9 vehicle is 229 feet tall and has a diameter of 12 feet. The vehicle’s first stage returns to earth (either at a terrestrial landing zone or on a drone ship in the ocean), while the second stage delivers a payload to orbit and...

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